Car-coupling



(No Mod I 7 CAR. GOUPLING. I No. 571,155. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. FLYNN, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,155, dated.November 10, 1896. Application filed April 1, 1896. Serial No. 585,800.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. FLYNN, of Aurora, in the county of Kane, andin the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view ofone of my car-couplers Fig. 2, a top plan view, partly in section,showin g two thereof cou pled together;

Fig. 3, avertical longitudinal section through one of the couplers; Fig.4, a detail perspective View of the hook-lifting device.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The design of my invention is to provide a car-coupler possessing thecharacteristics of extreme simplicity, great durability, and cheapnessof manufacture; and to these ends said invention consists in thecar-coupler havin g theconstruction substantially as and for the purposehereinafter specified.

In the drawings,A designates the draw-head of my coupler, having at itsfront or outer end in its upper side a cavity B, between the side wallsof which is pivoted a couplinghook O, the pivot being a horizontal boltD, passing from side to side of the draw-head.

- The width of the rear part of body of the hook is sufliciently lessthan the width of the cavity B to accommodate a flat spring E,

interposed between the'side wall of thecavity and the hook side, andhaving its free end .curved slightly outward and projecting alongside ofthe notch or cavity 0 of the hook that is provided for the reception ofthe outer end or nose of an engaging-hook, and with the side of whichnose said spring is adapted to engage to hold the two hooks inengagement.

' ing on the bottom of the cavity B, and in a 5 coupling operation ityields laterally a suffi- ,cient distance to permit the passage of thenose of the cooperating hook. To uncouple the hook from a coupled hook,its free end is swung upward. To enable this to be easily done, a shaftG is journaled transversely in the draw-head just below the bottom ofthe cavity B, which at a point beneath the hook is provided with aradial arm 9, that is adapted to work through a slot or opening bin thedraw-head and engage the under side of the hook. The arm 9 is providedwit-h a square or angular opening to receive a correspondingly-shapedportion of the shaft. Outside of the draw head said shaft is cranked andthen extended to the car side to enable it to be manipulated without thenecessity of a man going between the cars.

To insure the dropping of the hook by gravity to coupling position assoon as the arm 9 is moved out of the way, I prevent the hook from beingraised on its pivot to a vertical position by providing the top of thedraw-head with an overhang or lip II, against which the upper side ofthe hook will strike when it has been turned to an angle of aboutforty-five degrees. Of course other means than said lip may be used toform the stop for the hook.

Instead of placing a spring only at one side of the hook, there maybe'one at each side thereof.

The draw-head may be made of charcoalironby drop-forging, or it may bemade of cast-steel, and, if preferred, the hooks may be made of the samematerial and in the same manner. All holes can be cast or punched.

My coupler is, as will be apparent, extremely simple, thoroughlyefficient, not coming uncoupled in rounding the sharpest curves,durable, and easy and cheap of manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A car-couplercomprising a draw-head, a coupling-hook pivoted thereto, and ahookengaging spring attached to the draw-head, whose movement is in adirection at a right angle to that in which the hook is swung to coupleand uncouple, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A car-coupler comprising a draw-head, a hook mounted 011 a horizontalpivot, and a flat spring secured to the draw-head at the side of thehook and having its free end proj ecting forward to engage the side of aconnected hook, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A car-coupler comprising a draw-head having a cavity in its upperside, at the front end, a hook pivoted within and normally resting onthe bottom of the cavity, a flat spring interposed between the side ofthe hook and the side wall of the cavity, and having its free endprojecting forward to engage the side of a connected hook, the overhangor lip on the draw-head to engage and stop the hook when swung upward, ashaft extending through the draw-head beneath the hook, and an armcarried by said shaft to engage the under side of the hook,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this18th day of February, A. D. 1896.

JOHN J. FLYNN.

\Vitnesses:

J. P. OALLAN, ALICE M CALLAN.

